The True Cost of Fashion
Imagine your young family members being over worked in terrible conditions. The children in Dhaka Bangladesh work extremely exhausting shifts with work that requires a lot of physical effort.
According to the analytical center of London, one third of children (about 15%) living in slums of Dhaka Bangladesh, work more than 60 hours a week for major clothing brands. I encourage all customers to research the production boundaries of their favorite shopping spots. What we wear can cost someone their life.
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The London Overseas Development Institute (ODI) reported that 15% of children 6 to 14 years of age, stopped attending school to work full time in the production of clothing. Deprived from all resources most of them won’t learn how to read or write.
"Our study is a matter of serious concern about the problem of child labour in the garment factories in Bangladesh and their links with Brands from Europe, the USA and other countries", - said the Institute.
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The International Labour Organization, states that more than 5 million children in Bangladesh between 5 to 17 years of age are engaged in excessive work. Lawyers would need to research each child’s specific case, to prove the general industry guilty of employing underage workers. Legal help is extremely expensive in our modern society and not many social help facilities have the means to provide necessary legal help.
The textile industry began to improve the conditions for the workers after the collapse of the factory Rana Plaza three years ago. The disaster claimed the lives of 1,136 people. Even this improvement is not enough to provide a healthy and safe life to the children that work In garment factories.
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This is a reoccurring problem because their are too many people in control. Many times the brand owners and customers don't know what is happening in the factories of production. The London Overseas Development Institute asks all fashion brands to request more information on its contractors to assist in the situation of illegal child labour.
